Charles R. Drew
A pioneering surgeon whose work on blood preservation created the modern blood bank, saving countless lives only for him to confront the racism embedded in the system.
1904–1950 (age 46)·American surgeon and medical researcher·Birthday: June 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Charles Drew's life was a race against limits, both scientific and social. In the late 1930s, as a brilliant African American doctor facing a segregated profession, he turned his doctoral research at Columbia University into a revolution. He discovered methods for processing and storing plasma, effectively creating a 'blood bank' where this life-saving component could be stockpiled. As World War II erupted, he was tapped to direct the 'Blood for Britain' project and then the American Red Cross's national blood bank effort. His systems saved thousands of Allied soldiers. Yet, the military and Red Cross mandated the segregation of blood by donor race—a policy Drew knew was medically absurd. In 1941, he resigned in public protest, returning to Howard University to train a new generation of Black surgeons. His tragic death in a car accident at 45 cut short a life dedicated to breaking barriers, leaving a legacy where his scientific triumph is forever linked to his moral stand.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Charles was born in 1904, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1904
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1904Born
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Started school
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1917Became a teenager
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could drive
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1922Could vote
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1925Turned 21
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1934Turned 30
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 40
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1950Died at 46
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
Key Achievements
- Pioneered methods for long-term storage of blood plasma, making large-scale blood banks feasible.
- Directed the 'Blood for Britain' project during WWII, supplying vital plasma to Allied forces.
- Became the first African American to earn a Doctor of Medical Science degree from Columbia University.
- Served as the chief surgeon at Freedmen's Hospital and the first chairman of the surgery department at Howard University.
Did You Know?
He was an outstanding athlete in college, winning the James E. Walker Memorial Award as top athlete at Amherst College.
The myth that he died because a white hospital refused him a blood transfusion is false; he received immediate care but his injuries were too severe.
He was a gold medalist in the 400-yard dash at the 1926 Canadian Track and Field Championships.
His doctoral thesis was titled 'Banked Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation.'
“It is fundamentally wrong for any great nation to willfully discriminate against such a large group of its people.”
